Goblin Err
by Gekkani
Summary: Sarah's freedom is a few words away, but in Jareth's desperation, he causes something tragic to happen to Sarah that only he knows about and deeply regrets.
1. Chapter 1

_This is my first fan fiction. I wish I could have made it better. Hopefully I'll have a lot more time and be able to concentrate more on the later chapters. Thank you for taking your time to read.  
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To err is to be human.

But he wasn't human, and he had no idea how he would ever forgive himself for the mistake he had made.

Sarah looked up at him from her seat next to him and saw pain in his eyes. "What's the matter, Jareth?"

Jareth's head jerked back into reality. "Nothing. Do you want to go into the city?" he asked Sarah as he got up from his throne.

She nodded in obedience and walked toward Jareth. He saw how prompt she was in doing all he asked and a look of pain swept across his face again. Sarah had not seen it because they had already faded out from the room and into the city. All the goblins walking about began to whisper and apparently some did not know the meaning of whisper because their voices soon reached Sarah's ear.

"There's the girl that invaded the castle at dawn"

"It's the brat that tried to defeat the king"

"What an eyesore!"

Sarah turned to Jareth with confusion on her face. "What are they talking about? They seem to be looking at me but I never…"

Jareth cut her off "These goblins just love fairy tales…They make up things with everything they see. It's in their blood to be overly imaginative. Don't mind them." Jareth gave a menacing look to the few goblins that were still standing around and staring at Sarah with disgust. They quickly scattered to continue their business. Sarah looked Jareth and he smiled. "Let's go see the sites."

They passed by a few houses and one of them was broken apart with the whole front wall torn open. A dozen goblins were busy trying to repair it. Sarah stopped in front of it to observe. "Oh wow, what happened here?" As she came nearer, the goblins started screaming and running about.

"It's the girl again! Run away! She's come to destroy us!"

"Why do they say these things, Jareth?" Sarah turned to Jareth with desperation. He saw the sadness in her eyes and his face hardened. "You ask such foolish questions, girl. They are just fixing an old broken house." Sarah was about to open her mouth when Jareth threw one of his crystal balls at the goblins. They quickly collapsed to the floor and mechanical cleaners came to sweep them away.

"Oh! You killed them?!" exclaimed Sarah.

"Of course not, they were just being a nuisance and weren't doing their job. I merely gave them a few nightmares about the bog of eternal stench so that they know their place" said Jareth as he walked toward a conscious goblin and kicked him to the floor. "Gather some goblins and fix this house promptly." The goblin got up quickly and shrieked "Yes your highness" as he scurried off to find workmates.

Sarah stared at the house as something began to swim around her mind that she couldn't catch. Something had come to life and she didn't know what. Slowly the thought was getting near her grasp but it quickly faded away into nothing as she heard her name being called.

"Sarah…Sarah, come girl. We have to go" scolded Jareth.

Sarah didn't look back and everything was forgotten.

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Sarah had dinner alone. She looked at the violet moon that hung eerily and huge in the sky. She never asked why she was here and she never questioned Jareth's demands. She was unable to process these thoughts. Her mind was blank as her eyes were frozen to the moon. Jareth came in and saw her staring out the window. "What are you doing?"

Sarah looked up "I…don't know. I was just looking at the moon." She looked at Jareth expectantly, almost as if waiting for him to give her the reason why she had been staring out the window.

"What is it?" Jareth asked as he met her eyes. He knew what it was and he hated himself for it. He had spent the last six hours looking for a way to reverse it.

"I don't know" Sarah replied, her mind still blank.

"You will sleep in a room that's been prepared for you. Julian will escort you." As he said the name, a goblin appeared looking like all the others except he was wearing a rag around his waist that might have been an apron decades ago.

"Heh, well come now girl" the goblin grunted as he pulled Sarah's pant leg. Sarah followed the goblin down corridors and stairs until they reached a small white door just big enough for Sarah to go through. The goblin tapped the door and it opened. The room was completely white along with everything inside. The bed centered on the wall to right of the door had a white canopy with real white lilies wrapping around the white posts. Directly across from them and to the right of the bed were huge glass doors that led to a white balcony. Sarah stepped inside and felt completely relaxed.

"Here are your night clothes, girl." The goblin left and Sarah looked at the white gown that was on the bed. As soon as she put it on, she realized how tired she really was and quickly went to bed. Without questioning why she was so exhausted, she fell into deep slumber.


	2. Chapter 2

Jareth was back in one of his libraries, pouring over spell books and scrolls. _Why did I do it… if she had finished…I know now what she was going to say…would have been free of me…_His thoughts plagued him as he continued looking through the books. Morning had arrived which he only realized when one of the goblins knocked on the door and asked if he was going to come for breakfast. The goblin king felt the pains of hunger and stood up. His neck was aching, his clothes were disheveled, and his face was gaunt with fatigue. He came into the breakfast, rubbing his neck, not realizing how startling he really looked until Sarah saw him and dropped the knife she was picking up. Jareth quickly swiped a hand over his face and his make up and hair were instantly returned to normal. "Sorry."

Sarah continued eating all the while staring at Jareth. Meanwhile, Jareth nibbled on a small piece of bread, staring into the distance. They ate in peaceful silence. The sun was rising higher and poured through the windows and shined on Sarah, giving her face a soft halo and accenting her features. Her eyes sparkled and her cheeks turned a faint pink from the heat. Jareth turned his eyes to her and his breathe escaped him. _Such beauty… so beautiful…But what good is her outer beauty now…now that I have…_He turned quickly away from her and his brows furrowed.

"Jareth?" Sarah noticed his actions and concern came over her. Without responding or looking at her, Jareth got up and left the room. Sarah watched him walk out and simply sat there. Minutes passed and she didn't know what to do. She finally got up and walked around the unknown palace. She passed one slightly ajar door that was emitting light. She came closer to the small opening and saw Jareth sitting on a leather seat with a crystal ball in his hand. His face was sad and Sarah followed his gaze to the crystal ball. She saw a couple dancing in its center. She couldn't see their faces from a distance but a thought began to swim around her mind again as she saw them dancing. She pushed the door slightly so she could see better but her movement caught Jareth's eyes and he quickly made the crystal ball burst like a bubble. "What do you want?"

Sarah opened the door all the way and stepped inside. "I don't know. I didn't know what to do so I started walking around."

Jareth wanted to tell her to go to bed, but realizing that it was still morning, he tried to think of another way to keep her away from him and everybody else. He thought of his garden and how a section was still missing flowers. "Go to the garden and plant some flowers in the barren area. You may pick whatever flowers you want. That should keep you busy" Jareth stood up and pointed to the garden outside the window. "Julian can take you there and give you all that is needed." He produced a crystal ball and Julian's image formed with in it. "Julian, take her to the garden." With that, Jareth walked passed Sarah and left.

Julian came into the room soon after and pulled on Sarah's hand "Let's go, Sarah girl." She followed Julian outside and they reached a big storage room. "Get the things you need here." Sarah looked around the room that was filled with rows and rows of bags overflowing with a vast array of seeds. As she took a handful of orchid seeds and snapdragon seeds, her attention was caught by a small unlabeled bag in the back of a shelf, where it seemed to have not been moved in years.

"What kind of seeds does that little bag hold?" she asked curiously.

"Eh? What that thing?" replied the goblin. "Nobody knows. The king's mother gave it to him before she died. She was awfully young she was. Him only a lad at the time. He tried planting one but it never grew. He got every florist in the kingdom to try to grow one but none of them could. Nobody had ever seen that kind of seed before. They decided that it is from another world and doesn't grow in this kind of environment. The thing is that not even other-worlders have seen that kind of seed. Weird eh? The bag's remained in that spot ever since."

Sarah was intrigued by it. "Can I take some?"

"Didn't you just hear what I said? That plant doesn't grow here. You'll just be wasting time," replied an exasperated Julian.

"But there isn't any harm in trying. I just want to try and do something different," said Sarah.

"Whatever. Your time, not mine." And with that, Sarah took the little bag from the shelf and placed in with her other things.

At noon, Jareth got up from his desk covered with books and went to the window. He saw Sarah kneeled over a patch of dirt. Her face was covered with dirt and as well as her clothes. _Still beautiful_. He stared at her for a long time. Sarah felt someone watching her but she ignored the feeling. She finally finished planting the last seeds. They were the unknown seeds and she made sure to place them in the center of the plot. Sarah lay down, resting her head on a rock. She looked at the sky and began humming. After a moment, she realized that she didn't even know the tune she was humming. She sat up perplexed at this. She looked around and thought she saw Jareth looking at her from his window high above in his castle. Jareth quickly shut the blinds. Sarah got up, wiping the dirt from her clothes, and went back into the castle, not realizing that she was again humming the tune. The melody of secrets from her past.

After Sarah took a shower, Julian had brought her an earthy brown outfit to wear. It consisted of a modest sleeveless shirt that had laces crossing in the back that was bare. The skirt was long and ruffled with green stringed beads hanging from the waist. Nothing impressive. When Sarah put it on, her eyes sprung forward and Julian had to repress a wide-eye stare as her eyes shimmered more beautifully than the Zoram star, said to be the most spectacular thing in the known universe.

"Does this look okay, Julian?" asked Sarah with doubt. She looked at herself in the mirror and only saw imperfections that were in fact very minimal.

"It suits ye fine, girl" replied Julian, being too full of himself to say what he thought. Goblins didn't talk about their feelings.

"Okay…I hope Jareth doesn't think I look too appalling in this" said a worried Sarah.

Julian almost chuckled because he knew that the Goblin King would be impressed.

And he was.


	3. Chapter 3

Sarah walked down the corridors to the lunch room, humming the tune. As she came closer, Jareth heard her humming. His heart slipped its way to the bottom of his stomach. _What if she remembers? Is she just playing along with all this? Could she have broken the spell? No, it's impossible. Not even I can break it. _He waited for her to enter the room and his lips began to part to tell her to stop humming, when his eyes met her before the first word could be uttered. His lips remained slightly parted and the breath he had taken to speak was lodged in his throat. Sarah looked up and stared at Jareth with dread. _I probably look horrible_, she thought. She walked to the other end of the table with Jareth's eyes still frozen on her. Tears began to form in her eyes as she began to feel humiliated and self-conscious. _Why did Julian give me this to wear… _The tears filling the rim of her eyelids only intensified the beauty that exploded from her eyes. Jareth, finally realizing what was happening, let the trapped breath out, "Sarah…"

She looked up at him trying to blink back the tears, "Yes, Jareth?"

Jareth saw her effort at hiding her emotion "Why are you crying? What's wrong?"

At this Sarah replied "I am not crying, Jareth. Not yet." That was the truth as Sarah could not say otherwise. Another symptom of the mistake Jareth had committed.

"Why did you want to cry?" Jareth said in a neutral tone, he himself trying to hide pain.

"You stare at me with repulsion. I'm not attractive in this outfit at all…," whispered Sarah looking down, avoiding his eyes. At this Jareth got up and came to her. He took her face and turned it up to him. "Sarah, you are the most beautiful woman to have ever penetrate my heart" he whispered softly before he could catch himself.At this confession, Sarah's eyes widened. _Damn, she can't know!_

"Excuse me?" she wasn't sure about what she just heard, so she asked again.

Jareth let her go and stepped back "I was just practicing for when the daughter of the neighboring kingdom comes in a few months. She is rumored to be quite beautiful. I need to win her heart so that we can marry and I can strengthen my kingdom" Jareth was good at lying and he needed to dodge the dagger that had been just let loose. "Anyway, you look fine. Eat your lunch." He said dully. He picked up a bread roll and left the room, once again leaving Sarah alone. She really didn't know what to think. She was relieved that Jareth wasn't disappointed with her attire, but she also felt strange. When he had been looking into her eyes, she had looked deeply into his and saw sorrow.

Indeed it had been sorrow and Jareth felt its affect intensely. _I can't tell her how I feel or she will just ask questions. She was humming that song too. She doesn't know what happened but why…the song…._ Jareth shook his head lightly in an attempt to rid himself of his thoughts. He climbed up to the second story library that would shortly, just like all the others, be turned upside down by a desperate Goblin King.

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After lunch, Sarah was escorted to her room. Sarah feeling tired she lay on her bed. Suddenly, she heard a baby crying in the distance. She got up and went to the balcony. The crying sounded closer now. She looked around and spotted a small figure atop the outside stairs that curved into the garden. She realized it was a baby and her eyes grew large with terror as she saw the baby crawl closer to edge in between the bars. The baby looked down and moved the last step it could before plummeting to the floor. "TOBY! NO!"

Sarah flashed her eyes open and saw a white canopy above her. She pushed herself up and saw she was in her room. Quickly she ran to the balcony, immediately looking at the floor toward where the baby had been falling, but there was nobody there. _That couldn't have been a dream_._ But there is nobody there…a terrible nightmare…_ Her hand went up to her face and she felt that it was moist with tears. "Toby…" escaped her lips._ Who was that baby?_


	4. Chapter 4

_I decided to keep writing this story. This decision couldn't have come at a worst time, however. I have a final exam tomorrow that is going to massacre my brain. I hope this story finds an ending. I don't like to keep things unfinished, even if they are bad. Thank you for taking time to read this.

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Sarah cautiously opened her bedroom door and looked out into the hall. She silently stepped out and tried to maneuver her way out of the castle and into the garden. Of course, Jareth knew where she was all the time, no matter where she went or how carefully she tried to sneak by. He wasn't concerned however, thus he kept pouring over his books. Upon reaching the garden, Sarah inspected the stairs where she had seen the child and the ground where it should have met its fate. Sarah sighed and decided to tend to her plants, which to her complete astonishment had already grown to saplings_. But how…I only planted them this afternoon…This is completely impossible._

She noticed that the unknown seeds had not grown at all. She looked at the small plot of dirt with gloom_. I bet they aren't even seeds…probably ancient rocks…_ Despite her thoughts, she still believed they would grow. She placed her palm over them and started chanting "Come on you…grow…" Her concentration was completely on the seeds and in her mind she saw them burst open.

Meanwhile, as Jareth studied in his library, he realized that he hadn't detected movement from Sarah in a long time. He quickly took out one of his magical crystal orbs and with in it, he saw Sarah kneeling over the garden, her eyes closed and her palm on the ground. Jareth's focus was now diverted to her and his wonderment at what she was doing. _She isn't acting entirely how she is supposed to, her actions go against what the spell invokes…perhaps this means…_Jareth quickly disappeared and reappeared under a tree. He leaned against it as he studied Sarah, who was only a few feet away, with her hand still hovering over the seeds. Suddenly, Sarah opened her eyes and took her hand away. There on the spot that was empty only moments ago, was a tiny violet stem. She smiled slightly and then noticed Jareth approach her. She quickly got to her feet and looked at him blankly. Jareth's face dropped for a moment unseen, as he realized that he had only been hoping.

"What were you doing there, Sarah?" he asked with a slightly lower voice than usual.

"I was growing some plants." replied Sarah automatically. Jareth got closer to her and looked down at all the saplings.

"Looks like you are having trouble with this particular violet one" he remarked and pointed with his eyes.

"Jareth, why did they grow so fast? I put them in this afternoon. They were only seeds then." She asked as she looked at him, her eyes still blank. The spell still there.

"That is normal here. You must remember that time here is not the same as t—" Jareth quickly stopped himself but he feared it was too late. He knew it was. He looked at Sarah with wide eyes and held his breath as he waited for her reaction. Sarah's eyes flickered and for a moment held confusion. "Time here is not the same as the what?"

Jareth was panicking inside and knew his words would cause Sarah sorrow now that could not be erased. His greatest attempts would not keep her mind from it.

"Jareth? What are you talking about? What about time?" Sarah inquired again.

And then she found herself in a daze. Everything around her was dark and then burst into daylight. She had not seen Jareth go to her, take her into his arms, covering her with his cape, and kiss her. His movements were too fast to be seen by her or anyone else. His action was too sudden to be understood. His icy lips were locked to hers and he stared into her eyes vacantly. She was the sun. Her eyes bright and her lips warm. A startling contrast to Jareth's. She did not feel his lips or see his eyes, however. She was gone. Her mind was now momentarily trapped in a light that would keep her there until morning. Jareth released his lips from hers and her lids started to fall over her eyes. Her body now limp, Jareth took Sarah to her room and placed her on the bed. He instantly disappeared from the room and was not to be seen for days.


	5. Chapter 5

_Wow! It's been years since my last update. I have decided to really try to finish this story soon. It's been sitting on my hard drive way too long. I don't want to rush it but I don't want it to take forever either, which is why I won't take too much time proofreading. Please let me know if anything is incorrect. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. Thank you for reading!_

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Her nose wrinkled slightly as she felt herself being pulled out of her sleep by a wretched smell. She turned her face to try to escape it but it just got worse. A disgusting moist puff of breath blew on her face and she tried to turn. Her ears suddenly exploded as an angry voice knocked her into consciousness.

"WOULD YE WAKE UP ALREADY? Ye aren't a fragging princess!"

Sarah opened her eyes wide and stared at the grotesque face hovering over her. Julian was not happy; his face more contorted than usual.

"Well, hello there buttercup," he said in a sarcastic sweet voice "nice to see you have rejoined the world of the living. NOW GET UP!" Julian pulled away the covers and proceeded to roll Sarah off the bed and unto the floor. He got down from his stepping stool and went around hastily to where Sarah was rubbing her elbow on the floor. "You can't just laze around all day you know. You've been sleeping for two and a half days!"

Sarah got up and looked around. She wasn't really sure what to be shocked about first, the fact that she was just rudely awoken by a 2 foot tall goblin or the fact that she had slept for almost 3 days.

"How is that possible? I don't even remember going to bed. It feels like I just took a nap."

"Oh, so are ye calling me a liar? Well, missy, ye won't get anywhere with that attitude!" Julian made the bed quickly and laid Sarah's clothes on top. "Here, put this on and come to lunch, since you already missed breakfast!" grumbled Julian as he left the room.

After Sarah bathed and began dressing, she noticed something was off about the room. She opened the curtains more and realized that the room, despite it being the afternoon, was darker. The sheets, the flowers, even the wall, were darker somehow. Not a bright white anymore but tinged, like a page in a book. She touched one of the lilies' petals and its edges were withered very slightly.

As she went down the hallway, it too seemed different somehow. Upon reaching the main floor, she noticed that many of goblins were quieter and grumpier, as she accidently bumped into one and the goblin spouted out a string of curse words, half of which she had never heard before.

"Julian?" She called out as she went to the dining table. "Julian?"

A clatter and a loud curse were heard and Julian waddled in angrily. "What is it? Can't you see I'm busy?"

"What's going on? Why is everything different and everyone so upset?" asked Sarah as she observed two goblins going at each other in the hallway, hitting each other with tin cups and old shoes.

"So upset? SO UPSET?" Julian walked up to her. "You! Princess! It's your fault the master's this way. You and your fraggin' broth-" Julian stopped himself and looked about to explode. He roared and left the room.

Sarah went after him. "Julian! But where's Jareth?"

Julian turned around and yelled "Can't you see he's disappeared, you ninny!" With that, he went through a small door and shut it loudly behind him.

Sarah just stood there, not understanding anything or knowing what to do. She walked around the castle and ended up in the garden. Her eyes bulged as she saw a towering bed of flowers where she had planted seeds just a few days ago. She ran over and inspected them in amazement. There were the snapdragons and the orchids, along with a variety of local flowers, in full bloom. In the middle, where she had planted the strange seed, was the same sapling as before. It did not look like it had grown at all. As she kneeled beside it, a strange sensation of déjà vu came over her but it soon left her. She touched the tip of the sapling and it suddenly sprung up and shot upwards. Sarah gasped and fell back in surprise. She looked up and saw that the sapling was now a foot high plant, with a very small bud at the end. She smiled in delight and stared at the plant, wondering what it would look like when it finally bloomed.

Julian looked on in concern from the kitchen's doorway before returning inside._ The master must never know._


	6. Chapter 6

The faint clink of metal against porcelain was the only sound in the entire castle. Sarah sat at the table alone; she didn't have an appetite but she was forcing herself to eat before Julian got anymore upset with her. She would stare at the wooden throne every once in a while, hoping that Jareth would just appear before her. It was all so strange.

She had inexplicably slept for three days, the castle was a mess, and Jareth had disappeared. _What happened?_

It was not at all uncommon for the Goblin King to make trips to nearby kingdoms for a day or two, but he always told his servants if he was leaving. Most importantly, he _never _left without his crystal balls. Yet, there they sat in the library, already gathering dust.

Sarah's soup grew cold and she gave up trying to eat. Despite her sleeping for so long, she was tired and walked up to her room. On her way, she noticed the library where she had found Jareth before. She pushed at the door and it creaked open.

The small circular room was dizzying. There were miles of books that towered over her and she wondered how anybody could reach the books at the very top, which she could barely see. Near the only window, there was a dark, unfinished wooden desk loaded with leather-bound books and heavy papers. As she neared the desk, the candles hanging on the walls got brighter. She stopped, astonished at the magic. She took a few steps back and the lights began to dim again. She smiled slightly and went to the desk again. She went to pick up a book on the table when the candles began to flicker violently and a huge voice boomed from all around the room. Sarah instantly crouched down and covered her head in a small yelp.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?" the voice was pompous and spiteful.

"Jareth?" Sarah looked up and didn't see anybody, but she knew it was him.

"YOU DARE TOUCH MY THINGS! YOU WILL PAY FOR THAT! LEAVE OR I WILL SUSPEND YOU HEAD FIRST INTO THE BOG OF ETERNAL STENCH!"

"Jareth? It's me. Sarah. Where are y-" She was suddenly thrown back as a powerful wind swirled around her and thrashed her around until it finally threw her out of the room. She landed with a thud on the marble floor.

"You're a daft one, aren't you" said Julian as he stood nearby watching her with a small smirk.

"It was Jareth. He's back. I heard him." She struggled to get up and dusted herself off.

"You nitwit, that wasn't him. That was a protection spell. Everyone knows you don't touch the master's things. Hahaha."

"He had some books in there, something about pamit or pemit. There was a map too. I couldn't get a good look at it but I—OUCH!"

Julian let go of her arm and hushed her "Quiet! You are not allowed to read those books, and you especially aren't allowed to talk about them! Now go to bed! Don't ever come here again!" He began to push her away but Sarah resisted.

"Julian, what is going on?" Sarah felt strange; something was bothering her. She needed to know what it was.

Julian grabbed her arm again, harder this time, and was enraged. "I said go to bed! You think you can just do as you please! I will show you what it means to defy the Goblin King, girl!" He started pushing her forward but froze in mid-step.

A small whimper sounded and Sarah looked down to see Julian shaking. She followed his gaze and there in the hallway entrance stood Jareth. His clothes crusted with dirt, his hair matted down, and his face gaunt. His eyes however were aflame.

In a very soft whisper, he called out to Julian. He took a step forward and opened his mouth slowly, as if struggling to speak. "Julian, you will pay dearly for hurting her. I banish you to the bog of…eternal…stench…" Jareth suddenly collapsed on the floor.

Julian was trembling and Sarah just stood staring where Jareth's limp body lay.


	7. Chapter 7

_I apologize in advance for all the dialogue! I feel like this story is dragging in some areas, but I'll try to remedy that in the next chapter. I definitely appreciate some constructive criticism and reviews. Thank you for reading!_

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The room was darker. She knew it. Even in the bright morning light, the difference was obvious. Her mind quickly pushed that aside as she hurried to get dressed in order to check up on Jareth.

The night before was a swirling mess. Jareth had returned and had blacked out in exhaustion. The castle had been in an uproar and it had taken several hours for everything to calm down again. All the while, Sarah never took her eyes off of Jareth. He had been carried up to his room and when Sarah had tried to go in, the goblins had shooed her away.

She finished dressing and went to Jareth's room. Before she could knock, Jareth's voice was heard from the other side. "Come in."

Sarah walked into a room much like her own except it was three times bigger and filled with floating crystals near the ceiling. They sent colorful rays in all directions and twinkled brightly. Sarah looked around in wonder until she realized Jareth was looking at her from the bed. He was propped up against some pillows and covered up to his waist in white satin sheets. His hair was clean and shining but his face was still noticeably worn. He looked as if he had aged many years in just a few days.

"How are you, Jareth? Are you okay? What happened?" Sarah came closer.

"I am fine." Jareth waved his hand. "We are having a guest today. She should be here soon. In honor of her presence, there will be a ball. I expect you to be well dressed and on time. Moluga will take of everything for you."

"Moluga? Where is Julian?" asked Sarah in confusion.

"Don't worry about him. He'll soon be thrown into the oubliette and he won't be given a second thought" Jareth chuckled darkly.

"Oubliette? Huh?"

"It's a place you put people to forget about them, of course. How could you not remember?" Jareth looked uncomfortable for a second and then quickly tried to usher Sarah out. "Go get ready for the ball."

Sarah had caught his hesistation and something flickered in her eyes "I don't think you ever told me about the oubliettes, Jareth. Something is going on. I feel…lost all the time. Help me Jareth."

"Sarah, I said go get ready. Don't defy me. Go."

Sarah stared at him blankly and left the room.

The Goblin King looked at the mirror across the room showing his reflection and threw a crystal ball at it, cracking the mirror and breaking his image into a hundred Jareths. He looked at his gaunt face full of despair and then the glass shattered and fell to the floor.

The castle was decorated grandly for the guest's arrival and Sarah was wandering around taking in the beauty of the silk drapes and vibrant flowers that now graced the walls and tables.

She stopped a large goblin trying to transport a stack of chairs on his head. "Excuse me? Who is coming?"

"The Duchess of the Ada Kingdom, Esmeralda" squeaked the goblin as he saw one of the chairs wobbling dangerously above him.

"Oh. Is she someone important?"

"Well, she's a duchess, what do you think?" he asked a bit annoyed. "And, she also happens to be princess Katherine's aunt."

"Who's Princess Katherine?"

"Oh! Can't you see I'm busy, go bother someone else!" the goblin padded away with the chairs balancing precariously on his head.

Sarah looked at the clock and decided to get ready. She had never been to a ball before. As she slipped on the dress Moluga had laid out, she heard carriages pulling up near the garden and slowly chatter and laughter echoed from outside. She looked out the window and saw a great line of people waiting to be introduced. They were dressed in a variety of clothing. It seemed that there were a hundred different races and cultures, none of which she recognized.

As she came downstairs into the great hall, she felt a firm hand grab her arm.

"Sarah, don't wander off. Stay near me at all times." Jareth was not looking at her, instead he was smiling at each person that came in. The hall continued to fill up and when a horn sounded, Jareth let go of her and came forward just as pair of maidens came in, followed by a tall, slender woman with long white hair, though her face was young and very attractive.

The hall had quieted down as she came in and the announcement was heard.

"Introducing the Duchess of the Ada Kingdom, Duchess Esmeralda!"

Jareth took her hand and kissed it gently. A gesture that made Sarah feel a little sick, though she didn't know why.

The night began and it seemed to go on forever. Sarah did nothing but sit and watch the others dance. She avoided looking at Jareth who seemed to be deeply involved in conversation with the Duchess.

"Those two look like they just got married, don't they? Jareth is known to be good with women. Or bad, depends on how you look at it"

Sarah looked up and saw a young man standing next to her, looking at her gently with a soft smile. He seemed to be from another kingdom but his attire resembled the Goblin formal wear. His eyes were a woodsy brown and his dark long hair fell in waves around his shoulders. Sarah stared a bit too long and he cleared his throat with a smile.

"Oh. Um…you know Jareth?" Sarah looked down shyly. Something had flickered inside her again. She felt embarrassed but at the same time she felt good.

"Jareth used to go after my older sister a lot, so yes, I had a few run-ins with him. Some a bit more unfortunate than others."

Sarah looked at Jareth and she felt a surge of pain inside her. She quickly averted her eyes and looked down at her feet.

"I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself. I'm Cadyon."

Sarah looked up again and saw that his hand was extended. "I'm Sarah" She took his hand and made to shake it but instead he kissed it.

"Encantado, Sarah. Now, are we just going to sit here or are we going to dance?" Though he had asked, he didn't wait for an answer and he leaded her to the floor.

"I'm sorry, I don't know how to dance actually." Sarah said, looking around nervously.

"Nonsense. Everyone can dance. Just follow my lead. We'll go slow."

Sarah indeed had two left feet but Cadyon seemed to be enjoying it. "So Sarah, why are you here? Did you get a crude invitation or were you dragged along with someone?"

"I live here."

Cadyon almost stumbled as he stared at her "Here? With Jareth? That's a bit hard to believe. Where are you from?"

"I just live here" Sarah said in confusion.

"But where are you from?" Cadyon asked as he twirled her.

Sarah kept dancing and didn't answer. Cadyon asked again "Where are you from?"

"I don't understand your question."

"I mean, where were you born? Where did you live before coming here?"

Sarah remained silent and her eyes seemed to fade away.

"Sarah, are you alright?" Cadyon stopped dancing and touched her arm.

Sarah looked up at him with bewilderment. "I don't know. I…don't know. I've been here. I've just been here. This whole time. Here. I don't know…" She felt herself being pushed outside and then realized she was sitting on a hard wood bench.

"Hey, hey" Cadyon's voice seemed far away. "Sarah."

"Hmm?"

"What's going on?"

"What are you talking about?"

Cadyon stared at her. "I'm talking about the way your eyes seemed to be in a haze and the way you just stood there like a marionette until I had to bring you outside."

The door to the garden suddenly flew open and something whizzed past them. Cadyon ducked and then looked at the figure blocking the door.

"Jareth. I'm used to better greetings but since it's you, I understand."

"What are you doing, Cadyon? Don't you know she's mine?" said the arrogant voice.

"Come now, Jareth, are you jealous? You, who can make anyone woman your slave?" Cadyon smirked

"Sarah, come here. Now." Jareth put his hand on his hips and waited. Sarah only looked at him as if she had never seen him before. "Do as I say."

Cadyon got up and was about to speak when Jareth suddenly through a crystal ball at him. A bright cloud of shimmering dust exploded around him and he disappeared. Sarah gasped and stared wide eyed.

"Come Sarah" Jareth said as he turned back to the hall. Sarah followed him, a blank stare on her face.

Jareth pulled her in to dance and she twirled and twirled. It all seemed so strange. It felt almost like she had been here before.

The strange plant had stayed the same while the other flowers seemed to be even brighter and bigger. Sarah lay down next to the flower bed and stared at the long leaves of the tree nearby. She drifted off and began to see strange images of white banners and chandeliers. She heard deranged laughter and then a scream. Her eyes flew open and she made to sit up but she heard the scream again. She looked around but didn't see anybody. The scream came again. It sounded muffled and far away. Sarah got on her knees and slowly looked around again. The scream now was barely audible. She plopped down to the floor again, shaking her head. The scream was louder again. She turned her head, pressing her ear against the ground, and the scream was clearer now. She stared at the ground in disbelief.

"There's someone down there. Hello? Hello?" Sarah hit her palm against the dirt. She crouched down and listened. Silence. She moved around the plot and listened again. There it was. Someone was yelling something. "I can't hear you! Hold on. I'm going to get a shovel." She ran to the shed and grabbed a small goblin shovel and began to dig. After a few feet, she pressed her ear against the dirt again. The voice was clearer.

_PHREEE, GO PHOO PHREE_

Sarah looked around and saw that the tree nearby had a deep nook near the bottom. She kneeled down and put her hand in and felt something hard with holes. She slipped her fingers through and pulled up. The hatch creaked open and revealed a dark hole. She called in. "Hello?"

"Sarah! Get me out of here!"

"Julian? What are you doing down there?"

"I'm having a cup of tea with the rats. What does it look like I'm doing? Now help me out!" boomed out Julian

"I'll throw you a rope." Sarah went to the shed and found a thick rope. She threw it down the hole. "Grab on."

She struggled to pull out the goblin and had to brace herself against the tree trunk before he popped out.

"Julian, I haven't seen you in a while."

"That's because Jareth put me in an oubliette, you daft girl. All thanks to you" Julian brushed off the spiders clinging to his boots.

"There's that word again. Oubliette. Julian, can I ask you something?"

Julian looked up at her with a scowl. "What?"

"Why am I here? I feel strange. I feel lost all the time. Why do I feel like this?"

She was suddenly being pulled into the shed. Julian shut the door and turned to her. He stared at her for a long time before he spoke. "How much do ye know?"

"What? Know about what?"

"Sarah, there was a time when Jareth was in love. He loved a young girl so much that he did everything in his power to do as she wished. She was spoiled and one day she wished for something without thinking. Something horrible. In her efforts to return things back to normal, she had to endure many hardships at the hands of Jareth. He went as far as erasing her memories. He tried to make her fall in love with him. He tried everything. He captured her in time but she could not be held. She regained herself and realized what was going on. She left his arms and ran away. He was heartbroken. He could not bear it. When the time came to confront him, the girl knew she would win. It was at that moment that Jareth realized the only way to keep her was to erase everything. And he did. He erased all her previous memories; he erased her childhood, her entire life. What was left was a shell. The girl was not the same. She did not express her own thoughts or desires. The fire inside her seemed to have died. It was then that Jareth realized his mistake. He had killed her."

"That's so sad" whispered Sarah. Julian's eyes flicked to her face and he searched curiously.

"Yes…it is…" said Julian a bit astonished. "Sarah, what do you feel right now?"

"Feel? I feel fine. Julian, what was it that the girl wished for?"

Julian looked at her again, wondering if he should go on. "She wished that the Goblin King would take away her brother forever."

"A baby." Sarah said.

"Yes, how did you know?" Julian raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"I didn't. I had a dream I think…there was a baby. It was strange."

"Sarah, I think you need to come with me."

"Where?"

"To see that plant of yours."


End file.
